Public accommodation civil rights protections
Learn about civil rights protections related to public accommodations.
The Attorney General's Office enforces state
and federal laws prohibiting discrimination in places of public
accommodation. The Massachusetts Public Accommodation Law prohibits,
among other things, making any distinction, discrimination, or
restriction in admission to or treatment in a place of public
accommodation based on race, color, religious creed, national origin,
sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, deafness, blindness, or any
physical or mental disability, or ancestry.
A place of public accommodation is defined as "any place,
whether licensed or unlicensed, which is open to and accepts or solicits
the patronage of the general public."
Places of public accommodation can include, but are not limited to:
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/public-accommodation-civil-rights-protections
Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors.
Federal and state laws prohibit
discrimination against certain protected groups in businesses and places
that are considered "public accommodations." The definition of a
"public accommodation" may vary depending upon the law at issue (i.e.
federal or state), and the type of discrimination involved (i.e. race discrimination or disability discrimination).
Generally speaking, it may help to think of public accommodations as
most (but not all) businesses or buildings that are open to (or offer
services to) the general public. More specifically, the definition of a
"public accommodation" can be broken down into two types of businesses /
facilities:
- Government-owned/operated facilities, services, and buildings
- Privately-owned/operated businesses, services, and buildings
Government-owned/operated facilities and services
